


MY STAR

by ssongchann



Category: iKON (Korea Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Developing Relationship, Fluff, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Romance, eventual junbob, i dunno how this is done tbh, inspired by some real life shit, its my first fic yall
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-20
Updated: 2019-08-08
Packaged: 2019-10-13 07:49:46
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 15,057
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17484089
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ssongchann/pseuds/ssongchann
Summary: A short film requirement gives Yunhyeong more than just extra stress and a grade.





	1. Of Lost Notes and People

**Author's Note:**

> Hellooo!  
> It's my first ever fic y'all! I've been wanting to try my hand at making fics since forever and I can't believe I just went and wrote one.  
> So here's some yunbin since we can never have too much of them ( and they're just the sweetest most uwu ship tbh )  
> This is gonna be a chaptered fic and I promise I'll update this regularly...  
> If there are any errors, please forgive me, i really haven't checked sksjkssksj
> 
> I hope you like it! :))))

_Only one month left ‘til the semester ends and Song Yunhyeong thinks he’s about to die from stress._

He’s now on his second year in university and as a film major, things just aren’t going that well. For _one_ , it’s that time of the semester when every single course starts giving out extra projects and requirements which adds to the piles of readings and notes he still has to study for his upcoming final exams. _Two_ , he is a FILM MAJOR which means that most of his subjects are output-based and usually require video outputs and the occasional short films. Typically, this wouldn’t be that hard for someone like Yunhyeong who loves his craft and genuinely enjoys productions but _three_ , he’s on his last semester of his second year and it’s that point where all his major subjects revolve around tons of complicated film and communication theories – theories which they’re expected to internalize and memorize for the exams.

They’ve always said that the second year for a film major is the WORST… and Yunhyeong thinks they’re absolutely right.

 

“Hyung? Yunhyeong-hyung??? Hello?? Are you even listening??”

Jung Chanwoo was waving his hands in front Yunhyeong’s face. They were in a group meeting after class to discuss their final output for one of their film subjects and Yunhyeong was getting sleepy.

“Yes, yes. Sorry, I kinda spaced out a little bit. I’m just tired” he confessed.

“We know you’re tired but we’ve got to finish planning so we could start shooting our film as soon as possible.” Donghyuk stopped writing notes in his planner and faced him.

“Ya, Kim Donghyuk, be happy you’re not in second year yet. This workload is killing me!” he whined.

“We know, hyung. That’s why we’re only assigning you to look for our actors. You’ve got the most friends and connections out of all of us in the group so we know it’ll just be easier for you and for us if you’d be the one to give us prospect actors for the lead roles. Of course, this is only for the pre-production stage. Our assigned jobs for the actual shoot would be decided next time we meet for this output.”

“I- Wow, Goo Junhoe! Since when were you this focused on a group output?”

They all laughed. Yunhyeong was grateful that his groupmates were being considerate. There were only four of them in the group. It should’ve been five members but when the groupings were done, there were only enough students to form 4 groups of 5. Lucky for Yunhyeong, the remaining three students without groups were his closest friends.

Jung Chanwoo, his childhood friend and current roommate, is a film major who got into productions after starting his own Youtube channel in high school. His other childhood friend, Goo Junhoe, is a Literature major who took this film elective to do more scriptwriting and add to his poetry. Kim Donghyuk, on the other hand, is another film major who they all got close to after continuously hanging out with his classmate Chanwoo. And although the three of them were still in their first year, their curriculum allowed them to enroll in the same elective as Yunhyeong which they did thinking that it’d give them more opportunities to hang out together.

For their final output, their professor gave them the last month of the semester to come up with a short film based on stories he chose for each group. They were given only a summary of a story and vivid descriptions of the characters, the rest, from the script to the screenplay, was left entirely up to them. Apparently, their professor wanted to see how they would adapt the given stories and characters to short films and it was no easy task.

 

“Have you written down the descriptions of the characters, hyung?” Junhoe checked one last time. He’d be writing the script and he wanted to be sure the actors they’d be getting would match the specific descriptions they’ve been given.

“Yup! I’ve written it all down. I’ve already got ideas on who to get for the female role but for the male role, on the other hand, I can’t quite think of anyone…” Yunhyeong was puzzled. “I honestly don’t know anyone who’s _‘quiet with a strong presence and has the face of an angel but still a whole diamond in the rough’_ what the fuck does that even mean?” he scratched his head in thought.

”Don’t worry, hyung, we’ll figure it out. You just had an exam before coming here, right? We should probably stop talking about this project and just get something to eat so we could all relax.” Donghyuk was rubbing his tummy, he was getting hungry.

“Can we please get some cake? Please? I’m craving for some sweets.” Chanwoo was looking at them with his sparkling “innocent” eyes.

Well who could resist Jung Chanwoo? No one, that’s for sure. So they spent the next hour and a half in the nearest coffee shop, laughing their asses off, downing some much needed caffeine, and stuffing themselves with cake.

 

When they went out of the coffee shop, it was already 4PM and they’ve got no more classes for the rest of the afternoon. So they decided to just go home to do more projects or maybe rest a little bit. All four of them lived in the same apartment building near the campus so like they always did, they started walking home together.

“…and so I just ate the packaging with the bread, like a champ!” Junhoe proudly pounded his chest.

“I can’t believe I’m friends with someone this dumb…”

“Ya! Jung Chanwoo! I may be dumb but at least I won that fucking challenge!”

“No, you didn’t!”

“Yes I -“

“Oh my god!” Yunhyeong exclaimed startling the three. “I think I left my notes in the library! I need it for tomorrow’s quiz!”

“Now we know who the real dumb friend is.” Chanwoo and Junhoe burst out laughing like the little kids that they are.

“Shit! I hope it’s still there. I hope no one threw it in the trash or something. What the fuck am I gonna do if it’s all gone???” He was starting to panic at the thought of losing his notes. He hasn’t finished reviewing for tomorrow’s quiz, he can’t do it without his notes.

“Want us to come with you, hyung?”

“No, it’s fine Dong. You three go ahead, Imma just go back for it myself. It’s my notes anyway.”

Yunhyeong half ran- half walked his way back to campus. He was now slightly panicking and the only thing he could think of was his notes and where he last left them.

Once he got in the library, he quickly made his way to the table where he last studied for his exam just hours ago.

A few feet away from the table and he could already see that it was empty.

_‘My notes!!!’_ he kneeled down to check underneath hoping that what he’s looking for just fell off the table… but nothing was there.

_‘I’m screwed. Fuck! I’m so gonna fail tomorrow’s quiz.’_ Yunhyeong was now in full panic mode.

About to ask the librarian if she found his precious notes, he hurriedly stood up, legs ready to bolt once again. But the moment he turned around, he found himself bumping into someone, the impact sending both of them to the floor.

“Oww!” Yunhyeong winced in pain. “Oh god, I am sooo sorry, I –“

 

Words just left him at the most inconvenient of moments. The second he saw the guy he bumped into, he just couldn’t speak.  The man had this aura around him that made him seem serene but you just can’t help but be drawn to him and his presence. He was the real definition of CHARISMATIC. And his face. He was STUNNING – not the type that’d overwhelm you with his flawlessness but the type that delights your eyes with the perfect imperfection of it all. He had small eyes, a huge nose, extra plump lips, and a head full of messy brown hair with bangs unevenly framing his face. His features may be imperfect but they all come together beautifully creating the face of a man that looks exactly like an angel…

“Are you perhaps looking for this?” the man was pointing to the notebook and binder that he was carrying in his arm.

“My notes!!!” Yunhyeong exclaimed still not moving from his position on the floor. He was having a hard time processing what was going on and all he managed to do was stare at the guy in front of him.

The guy chuckled at his dumbfoundedness. He got up from where he was and took a few steps to where Yunhyeong fell and was still sitting on. He reached out one hand to help him stand.

Yunhyeong was mesmerized.

“Y-you’re an a-angel…” was all he could say to the guy who’s now pulling him up to stand.

“I’m a what?”

“I said you’re an angel” he said in a softer voice, now just realizing how embarrassing his words were. He looked away and blushed.

The guy just laughed at what he said making him blush even more.

And in that moment, it dawned on him. His eyes widening at the sudden realization.

 

HE JUST FOUND WHAT HE WAS LOOKING FOR!

 

 

 

 

 

And no, it wasn’t just the notes.


	2. Of Lost Notes and Crushes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hanbin's lucky he gave Yunhyeong his notes back. Too lucky, if you ask him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yesss my first ever update!!!
> 
> This one's a lot longer than the first chapter so I'm sorry if I missed a lot of grammatical errors uwu  
> I hope you like it tho <3

“I’m a what?” Hanbin didn’t quite hear what the guy just said. He was helping him up to his feet and the guy just seemed out of it.

“I said you’re an angel.” The guy said in a softer voice, now obviously just getting embarrassed over what just happened. He looked away and blushed.

Taken aback, Hanbin just laughed at what he said which made the guy blush even more…and it was cute. And just like that, Hanbin forgot what he came there for.

 

 

It was right after lunch, earlier that day, and the school library was filled with students hustling to get things done. You can softly but clearly hear the sound of pages being turned, students trying to whisper what sounds like random keywords and page numbers, the distant humming of the air-conditioning unit, and the occasional crumpling of paper. This last month has everyone visibly struggling with all the extra workload. It was just the busiest time of the semester. But well, not for Kim Hanbin.

 

As a music major, Hanbin doesn’t really have that much to do at this time of the semester. Most of his professors where generous enough to give them the chance to skip their final exams if they ever got high scores on all their previous ones. And although Hanbin’s a year younger than all of his batch mates, he’s still on top of every class he’s in. Now, all that’s left for him to do before the semester ends (aside from studying for their last few quizzes, of course) is to finish writing his song for one of his final projects which would just be a walk in the park for him since he’s basically a genius – at least that’s what his fellow second year friends say.

 

Hanbin scanned the place, looking for somewhere to sit down and finish the assignment he has to submit by three in the afternoon. All the seats seemed to be taken. He frowned, disappointed.

 _‘I guess I just have to write somewhere else.’_ He was about to turn and leave when he spotted a small table by the farthest window that looked suspiciously ‘unoccupied’. He wasn’t really sure if anyone was using the spot. He just thought that since there was a notebook and a binder on the desk, there must’ve been someone there and whoever that person was, he or she must probably be in the restroom… or something.

_‘Well, I really need to finish this homework…I guess I’ll just take the seat for now.’_

Hanbin made his way to the back corner of the library, looking around to see if anyone was coming for the same spot before making himself comfortable as he took the seat. He gently moved everything left on the desk to the side, fished out the things he needed from his little backpack, and placed them in front of him so he could start working on what was due that afternoon.

A good hour later and Hanbin’s done and ready to submit his work. He extended his arms to stretch a little, eyes falling on the notebook and binder he carefully set aside before he started working. He completely forgot about them.

 _‘Someone really must have left them behind.’_ He was thinking of what to do with what he found when out of nowhere, his phone started vibrating in his pocket. Pulling it out, he checked to see what the notification was about.

 

** Bobert: **

**YO WHERE U AT????? WE GON REPORT TODAY**

**CLASS IS BOUT TO START! GET UR ASS HERE RN!!!!**

 

 _‘SHIT.’_ As quickly as he could, he stashed everything on the desk into his bag and just ran out of the library, almost tripping on the small steps near its entrance. Whoever owns the notes has just got to wait, he’s got more pressing matters to attend to.

 

 

It a little over 3:30PM and Kim Hanbin was once again free. He made it just in time for his group reporting and everything else went well…luckily. Their professor dismissed them immediately after their reporting despite still having 30 mins left for the class so now, together with his two best buds, Hanbin’s on his way to the cafeteria for some much needed snacks.

“Bin, why don’t you and Bobby go find us some seats and imma just go grab us some food? Oh, and whatcha wanna eat by the way?”

“Just get us some chips, hyung, and the usual, I guess.”

After giving money for the food, Hanbin and his friend Bobby went and found vacant seats good for three. Making themselves comfortable, they began talking about random stuff while waiting for their other friend, Jinhwan, to come back with their snacks.

 

Since last year, Hanbin, Bobby, and Jinhwan have been practically inseparable. Bobby, whose real name is Kim Jiwon, was Hanbin’s high school schoolmate and now fellow music major. They weren’t close at all back then since they’ve never really been in the same class. But ever since they moved into the same apartment on their first year of university, they’ve been like brothers. Kim Jinhwan, whose family owns the said apartment, was their third housemate and basically the oldest brother in their group (although he doesn’t really look like it). Now on his third year as a music major, Jinhwan first met the two when they replaced his past housemates who graduated from college just a year ago.  

 

“Here you go.” Jinhwan handed them the chips, Bobby’s favorite powdered donuts, and some soda.

“Thanks, hyung!” Extending his arms to take some of the food, Bobby smiled at Jinhwan and passed the chips to Hanbin, making sure his donuts stayed with him.

“Jiwon-ah, you’re free after this, right?” Asked Jinhwan while opening his bag of chips.

“No.”

“Really? It’s Tuesday, we just got out of our last class for the day. As far as I know, you’ve got nowhere to go and the only project you have left for this week is that essay due on Friday, which I’m 100% sure you’re not gonna do ‘til Thursday night.”

“Hyung, if you already knew my sched, why’d you still have to ask?” he teased. “Wanna ask me out on a date or something? Since I’m free and – HEY!”

His face was hit by an unopened bag of chips Jinhwan just threw at him.

“Yah! Kim Jiwon! I may be single but you’re definitely not my type!” he retorted. ”I was asking cause I need some help writing this song for my project and I just wanted to make sure you won’t just vanish and go somewhere without telling us again.” Jinhwan tried to explain.

“Ouch! But what about Hanbin then? You’re not gonna ask him for help?” He pointed at the man eating beside him, silently watching them bicker.

“He still has to go back to the library, remember? He’s got to return the notes he found which he should probably just have left with the staff...if he had enough brain cells.” He laughed at the boy who choked on his soda.

“Hey! I didn’t have time, okay?! You guys should be happy I wasn’t late!” Hanbin tried defending himself. “Also, I still have to do some grocery shopping so you just have to help hyung with his track, I’ll just help when I get back.” He said to Bobby who just snickered.

“If I know, you’re just gonna hang out by the Film and Arts Department, trying to get a glimpse of that little crush of yours.” He said with a smirk. They both laughed at Hanbin who just let out a small groan and pouted.

“No I won’t!” He spat.

“What’s this song about anyway? You don’t usually ask us for help when it comes to your tracks.” Bobby asked turning to Jinhwan. He slowly took a bite on his powdered donut.

“Well, I’m making this ballad and I want it to be about a lover’s fight or something like that. I’ve already got the chorus and the bridge down but then my initial verses don’t quite fit. I’m thinking of maybe replacing them with rap verses instead.”

“But hyung, you don’t rap!” Bobby stared at him, eyebrow raised in question.

“Which is exactly why I’m asking you guys for help. Just do a verse each. Please? I know you’re both good at that.” Jinhwan looked each of them in the eye, lips curled in a sheepish smile. “I’m treating you both for dinner at that restaurant you love.”

“Okay, I’m in!” Bobby grinned, the thought of free food enough to make him happy.

“I already said I’m gonna help, right?” Hanbin said with a smirk.

“Yeesssss!!! This is why I love you guys!” Jinhwan was smiling from ear to ear, obviously excited to finish his track.

 

Finally finishing their food after a lot of laughing and talks about the track they were going to make, Bobby and Jinhwan left Hanbin at the library before going home to their apartment.

Notebook and binder in hand, Hanbin walked straight to where he found the items only to find a guy kneeling. He approached the guy who was looking like he was desperately trying to find something from underneath the desk.  A bit restless, the guy stood up not even bothering to brush off his knees. Even from just seeing his back, Hanbin instantly recognized him.

 

He froze on the spot and his heart started beating like crazy.

 

_‘IT’S SONG YUNHYEONG!’_

Hurriedly, the guy turned around and just like that, he bumped into Hanbin who was too stunned to move. They both fell on the floor, the impact knocking some sense into Hanbin who was then brought back to reality.

 

“Oww!” the guy, Yunhyeong, winced in pain. “Oh god, I am sooo sorry, I –“

Looking up, words seemed to have left him completely as he just sat there, awkwardly staring at Hanbin.

Minutes passed and the guy still hasn’t said another word. Remembering the items which brought him back there in the first place, Hanbin made sure they were still intact before speaking.

“Are you perhaps looking for this?” he pointed to the notebook and binder that he was carrying in his arm.

“My notes!!!” Yunhyeong exclaimed still not moving from his position on the floor. He seemed like he was still shocked from the fall.

Chuckling at Yunhyeong’s dumbfoundedness, Hanbin got up from where he was and took a few steps to where Yunhyeong was still sitting on. He reached out one hand to help him stand, a little bit worried if he was hurt somehow.

Yunhyeong just stared at him and for a second, he thought something was wrong with his face.

“Y-you’re an a-angel…” was all he managed to say to Hanbin who now pulled him up to stand.

“I’m a what?”

“I said you’re an angel.” He said in a softer voice, now obviously just getting embarrassed over what just happened. He looked away and blushed.

Taken aback, Hanbin just laughed at what he said which made him blush even more…and fuck, it was cute.

 

“This is yours, right?” He handed Yunhyeong the notes and binder which he figured out he was looking for.

“Y-yes. Thank you so much. You’re a life saver!” Taking his stuff back, he smiled at Hanbin, who was literally struggling not to blush.

 

A little bit more composed, Yunhyeong cleared his throat.

 

“I’m Song Yunhyeong.” He reached out a hand, giving Hanbin a little smile.

 

_‘I KNOW!!! I’ve been crushing on you since last semester!’_

“Kim Hanbin. It’s nice to meet you, Yunhyeong-ssi.” He shook Yunhyeong’s hand, mentally taking note of how soft it felt against his own.

 

“Hanbin-ssi, I know this may sound weird to you, given that we’ve just met after all, but can I ask you a favor?” He looked at Hanbin straight in the eyes.

Hanbin felt like melting.

“Y-yeah…”

“You see, we have this final project for one of our film majors. It’s a short film… and we’re looking for someone who could play the lead role….”

 

_‘Oh my god, what’s going on???’_

“…and I think you fit the character perfectly…and I honestly wouldn’t bother asking you if you didn’t, but you’re exactly like the description that was given to us…”

 

_‘Shit, he looks so adorable like this…’_

“…and I honestly have no other idea on who to ask to play this role…and I – and now I’m rambling… I’m sorry. But just…w-would it be okay if you p-play the main character for our film? It’s not that long anyways and it’ll be easy, I swear! And I’ll be there to help you and you know, just be –“

 

“Sure!”

 

Yunhyeong’s eyes widened in disbelief.

 

“W-wait, really????” He was shaking.

 

“Yeah, I will. It’s for your final project, right? Yes, I’ll be glad to help.” He reasoned, lips forming a little smile.

“OH MY GOD!!!” Yunhyeong was jumping at this point. “You really are a life saver!!” His smile so wide, it turned his eyes into little crescents. Overwhelmed with happiness, he ran up to Hanbin and instinctively gave him a hug.

 

And if a few minutes ago, Hanbin felt like melting… now he feels like he could die in peace.


	3. Of Crushes and Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nothing is safe from Chanwoo. Yunhyeong should've learned that by now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A shorter update but I'm still alive y'all sksksksks
> 
> In case it's not obvious; 1 is Yunhyeong, 2 is Chanwoo.

** Yunhyeongie 2: **

**sOMEONE HELP ME!!! YUN HYUNG’S LAUGHIN LIKE CRAZY!!!**

** Juneyaaaa: **

**Yah! Jung Chanwoo I can hear u screaming from our room!!! SHUT UP!!!**

** Yunhyeongie 2: **

**THAT’S NOT ME!!! THAT’S YUN HYUNG!!!** **ㅠㅠ**

**HE’S BEEN LAUGHING AND SCREAMING ALL BY HIMSELF, I’M SCARED**

**SOMEONE GET ME OUT OF HERE!!!!**

** Dongdong: **

**Did u ask him what’s goin on???**

** Yunhyeongie 2: **

**NOOOO HE’S BEING CREEPY, I DON’T WANNA DIE!!!!**

**DOOOONNNGGG HELP MEEEEE** **ㅠㅠ**

** Yunhyeongie 1: **

**Jung Chanwoo, I can SEE your messages, you know.**

** Yunhyeongie 2: **

**OMG HE’S GONNA KILL ME NOW!!**

**DOOONNGGGGGGG!!! JUNEEYAAAAAA!!!**

**HELLLPPPPPPP** **ㅠㅠ**

** Juneyaaaa: **

**Serves u right, dumbass**

** Dongdong: **

**Chanuyaaa fighting!!** **ㄱㄱㄱㄱ**

“OOWWW!!! What the fuck, hyung??!!”

Chanwoo rubs his head in pain. His roommate just threw a pillow at him from his bed at the other side of the room. He turns to him, hand still holding onto where the pillow just hit. His hyung just glares at him. Chanwoo thinks he’s going to die tonight.

Well, not really. He’s just being dramatic. That’s what happens when you hang out with Yunhyeong too much.

“I’m NOT being creepy!” Yunhyeong protests, lips stuck out in a little pout.

“Hyung, you’ve been giggling and laughing to yourself since you came home. It’s been like an hour and it’s only gotten worse. And don’t act like I haven’t seen you rolling around on your bed, you’ve been doing that for a good 20 mins now. YOU’RE BEING CREEPY.”

“That’s not true!”

“YES IT IS! And you’re scaring me!”

“Okay, fine. I may have been giggling a little bit.” He admits, a little bit shy.

“GIGGLING?? HYUNG, YOU’VE BEEN LAUGHING AND SCREAMING THE PAST HOUR!”

“OKAY, OKAY, FINE! I’m sorry.” He sighed in defeat.

“What’s up with you anyway? Don’t tell me the stress is driving you that crazy? Should I bring you to the doctor?” He snickers, clearly now trying to make fun of his hyung.

“NO! I’m not going crazy! I’m j-just…”

“You’re what?”

“H-happy. I’m just happy, that’s all.” He uttered softly, trying his hardest to stop himself from blushing.

Chanwoo stares at him like he grew a third head. On a general scale, Yunhyeong’s always been a happy person – the happiest of them four. He approached every day with a positive mindset. Even on the days where he hasn’t had more than three or sometimes two hours of sleep, Yunhyeong would never be as cranky as Chanwoo whenever Donghyuk interrupts him when he’s gaming nor as grumpy as Junhoe is on a daily basis. But this – the squealing and annoying enthusiasm – was definitely not something Yunhyeong does on the daily. So _happy_ was not what Chanwoo was expecting. But what was he expecting really? The elder’s been laughing and smiling like a lovesick high school girl who finally got noticed by her crush.

And that’s when it hit him.

 

“Yah, Song Yunhyeong, did you meet someone?”

“W-what? Yah! Jung Chanwoo, I’m older than you, y’know!” He countered, a little bit too defensive.

“Oh, so you _did_ meet someone…Who’s the guy, hyung?” Chanwoo smirks. He hit the jackpot.

 

 _‘Oh, crap.’_ Yunhyeong’s face was getting redder by the minute.

 

“Come on, hyung. Just tell me.” He coaxed. Chanwoo was fully facing him now, eyes bright with anticipation and curiosity.

 

Mirroring the younger’s position, Yunhyeong took a deep breath and faced the expectant Chanwoo.

“Fine.” He sighed. “His name’s Hanbin. I met him at the library when I went back to find my notes. He was the one who found them and returned them to me -”

“Wait, Hanbin? As in Kim Hanbin??” He interrupted.

“Yeah, you know him?” He perked up in surprise.

“We were in the same class last semester. He’s not really the friendliest but he’s cool. I heard he’s like a genius at the Music Department and I think it might be true given that he’s a year younger than everyone in his batch but he’s still on top of every class…at least that’s what I heard from my classmates…”

“Oh, so he’s a music major…”

“Wait, you _didn’t_ know?”

“No, I didn’t ask…We actually haven’t talked that much, well, it _is_ the first time we’ve met so that’s expected, I guess…”

“But hyung, you _always_ find out every possible detail you can when you first meet someone. That’s like one of your _special abilities._ ” Chanwoo was flabbergasted at this point. “Remember how you found out about Dong’s secret dancing competitions _20 minutes_ after you guys first met? Seriously, no one knew about that - not even his classmates, by the way – and he wasn’t even in any of your classes; heck, he wasn’t even _your_ batch mate.”

“I-I guess, I was too flustered to ask…” Yunhyeong answered sheepishly, now realizing that the younger’s got a point.

 

And he _did_ have a strong point. Yunhyeong’s the outgoing type, obviously - as everyone can see from his plethora of friends and acquaintances. To him, getting along with another human is as easy as breathing; most of the time, he doesn’t even do it on purpose. He just bumps, sits next to, and stands beside someone and that someone would almost always end up getting a new pal – Yunhyeong. And when he _really_ wants to, Yunhyeong can find out almost _anything_ about his newfound friends; he can get people to open up and tell him whatever he wants them to. Yunhyeong thinks it’s his charms, Chanwoo thinks it’s some sort of special skill – like in Pokemon.

 

“Hyung, you’re a loser. How do you expect to date this guy if you can’t even talk to him properly? You can’t even ask him his major. How are you gonna ask him out –“

“He’s playing the lead role in our film!” He blurted out, now getting tired of the younger patronizing him.

Chanwoo gawks at him in disbelief.

“We exchanged numbers too…for you know…for the film.”

His roommate now slowly claps his hands, head nodding in proud agreement.

“Wow, hyung. Just wow.”

Yunhyeong just gaped at him, bewildered. Not quite sure if he was being mocked or commended.

He still turned bright red, nonetheless.

 

 

** Dongdong: **

**Chanuya, Yunhyeong-hyung, U guys still okay?**

**Your room just got quiet all of a sudden, what’s going on?**

** Yunhyeongie 2: **

**Yup, we’re fine now**

**yUN HYUNG’S GOT SUMN TO SAY**

** Yunhyeongie 1: **

**NO I DON’T!!!**

** Juneyaaaa: **

**Spit it out chanu**

** Yunhyeongie 1: **

**I SAID IT’S NOTHING!!!**

** Dongdong: **

**Not u hyung** **ㄱㄱㄱㄱ**

**Chanuuu spilllll**

** Yunhyeongie 2: **

**YUNHYEONGIE’S GETTING A BOYFRIEND**

**AND HE’S PLAYING THE LEAD ROLE IN OUR FILM!!!**

**UUWWWWUUUU**

** Yunhyeongie 1: **

**NO! AND NO!**

** Dongdong: **

**UUUUUWWWWWUUUUUUUU**

**Hyung’s been super productive lately, huh**

**Hitting 2 stones just like that** **ㄱㄱㄱㄱ**

** Juneyaaaa: **

**SOMEONE’S GETTING DICKKKK**

**Lucky bastard**

** Yunhyeongie 1: **

**JUNG CHANWOO THAT’S IT**

**YOU’RE DYING TONIGHT!!!!!**

** Yunhyeongie 2: **

**You can’t kill me hyung, u love me too much**

**ㄱㄱㄱㄱ**

** Yunhyeongie 1: **

**NOT ANYMORE KID**

** Yunhyeongie 2: **

**wAIT NO**

**NOOOOOOOOO**

**HELPPPPP**

** Juneyaaaa: **

**JUNG CHANWOO SHUT UP!!!!!!!!!**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had to cut a part of this chapter for the next one. Promise that would be longer than this uwu


	4. Of Friends and Firsts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was gonna post this on Yun's birthday but I was waiting for Hanbin to post his greeting...which he didn't and now Im sad :((((  
> I miss them now...

Jinhwan choked on the soda he was drinking. Bobby nearly spilled his own drink. Thank heavens he didn’t or this project they’ve been working on would never _ever_ see the light of day…not to mention he’d have to buy a new laptop.   

”Are you _serious_????”

“Nah, hyung, he’s clearly pranking us!” Bobby just snorted, the situation too unbelievable to even be remotely true. “It has to be…right?”

They stared at Hanbin; one was waiting for him to burst out laughing, the other not even knowing what response to expect. But the youngest just stood there anxiously fiddling with his fingers, eyes fixed to the ground.

“SERIOUSLY BRO??!!!” Bobby’s eyes were bulging in shock. This was too much even for him.

“When I told you to try getting out of your comfort zone, I meant you go and _socialize_ with people more, not fucking _star_ in a short film for _another_ department! What were you even thinking???” The oldest exclaimed.

“I-I wasn’t…I wasn’t thinking…” He answered softly, raising his head to take a quick glance at his hyungs before returning his gaze to his uneasy hands.

“Dude, I can’t believe you just went to the library and came back a star!” Bobby teased, bunny teeth on full display as he grinned.

“ _Shut up!_ ”

“Honestly, I dunno about Bobby here, but I’m happy you’d get to try something new.” He sighed. “We just…we never imagined you’d do something like this.”

“Hey! I’m happy for him too!”

Hanbin flushed, smiling sheepishly before uttering a soft “thanks guys.”

“Wait, who asked you though?” Jinhwan gave him a curious look. “You need to tell us what happened.”

“Shouldn’t we be helping you with your song, hyung? I thought it’s –“

“Don’t even try changing topics, Bin.”

 “Just spill it, man!”

 

And so he did. It’s not like he could hide anything from them anyway. Despite only being close for less than two years, the three of them have had more than enough time to fully get to know and understand each other. So he began narrating the events that occurred after they left him at the library, how he stumbled upon the ‘ _love of his life’_ (who called him _‘angel’_ by the way), and how he agreed to help him with their short film.

Minutes before arriving at their shared apartment, Hanbin could swear he was the happiest man alive, now he’s sweating buckets, panicking at the thought of acting for another class (and just the thought of acting in general). But at least he could finally do more than just steal glances at Yunhyeong and for that, he was truly grateful.

 

“Now I wanna see this Song Yunhyeong…” Jinhwan declared, an amused look evident on his face. “I can’t believe he could make you do that.”

Hanbin glared at him. “He didn’t force me or anything, don’t say that.”

He turned to him and smirked. “No, of course he didn’t. You’re just whipped.” He took a sip from his now almost room temperature soda.

“Hyung,” Bobby spun his seat to face the eldest, “how come you haven’t seen his Yunhyeong? He’s been talking about him for months!”

“Jiwon, their building’s _literally_ on the other side of the campus. You think I’d go there just to _stare_ at this Yunhyeong guy? I’m not Hanbin.” He retorted, trying his hardest not to laugh at his own reply.

“HEY! I don’t do that! I’m _not_ a creep!” Hanbin stood up, as defensive as ever.

His roommates burst out laughing; Bobby now pounding on the desk and Jinhwan holding onto his chair for support.

“Bin, you go there almost twice a week. You don’t even have classes there.”

“It’s just…I-I just pass by on my way to t-the cafeteria! W-what are you talking about?” He stammered, voice betraying him more and more.

“Uh, pretty sure the cafeteria’s right before their building, Bin.”

“Ugh. O-okay.” He turned to Bobby, brows furrowed in an attempt to glare. “But I don’t go there just to stare at him! I’m not a creep!”

“Hmmm…” Bobby nodded in mock agreement. “Really?”

Jinhwan pointed at him with a smirk. “What do you do there then?”

“Uhmm…I…I…” He racked his brain for some sort of sensible excuse, mentally cursing himself for not coming up with one. “Fine. But I’m _not_ a creep!” He gave up.

His hyungs exchanged knowing glances.

“Yup, not a creep. Just a lovesick weirdo.”

“I’M NOT LOVE –“

“Whatever you say, dude.”

He whined. They’re not going to be letting his poor ass off anytime soon with this one. He could feel it.

 

 

Hanbin woke up to the smell of something being fried. He turned around on his bed, hands rubbing the sleep away from his still tired eyes. He blankly stared at the ceiling, attempting to recall the events of the night before. Sometime in the middle of working on Jinhwan’s track last night, they got the bottles of beer out from their fridge. He can’t remember how much they drank after their little recording session but he knows it wasn’t that much. His low alcohol tolerance and the fact that he wasn’t hangover says he just drank enough to fall asleep. He let out a deep sigh.

Slowly, he got up and groggily dragged himself out of his room and into their kitchen. He was greeted by the sight of Jinhwan, back turned against him, waving a spatula in the air while frying what looked like eggs. His hyung wasn’t exactly a good cook but what he’s cooking smelled pretty nice. It made him realize that he was hungry.

“Why are you up and cooking, hyung?” He asked, sitting himself on one of chairs by the dining table, hands reaching for a slice of bread.

“Morning to you too, Bin.” Jinhwan turned to face him, lips curling up in a wide smile. “I’m in a good mood since my project’s done. I just felt like cooking today.”

Hanbin only hummed in response, mouth too busy chewing on bread.

 

Usually, Wednesdays weren’t that busy for Hanbin. He only had one class in the morning and the afternoon, he typically spent catching up on his pending school work – which he currently didn’t have. He’s going to have more time to catch up on sleep or maybe work on some tracks for his personal projects as he always does to relax and kill time.

His morning went by quickly. There wasn’t anything different, his only class still ended up boring him too much he had to slap himself several times to stay awake. He met up with Bobby for a quick lunch (like they always do every Wednesday) before walking back to their shared apartment alone. By the time he booted his laptop and made himself comfortable in their makeshift mini studio, he had long forgotten about Yunhyeong and the events that transpired the day before.

Launching his music production software, he clicked on an unfinished project and was met with bars upon bars of recordings, guitar tracks, and some more layers of instrumentals. Pressing the play button, he did a little stretch as he listened to the unfinished song, mentally taking note of a few tweaks he could do to some parts and possible chord progressions he could add to the melody. This was Hanbin at his most peaceful, his natural habitat, and his safe space. Nothing could get in the way of him and his music. Or so he thought.

 

Somewhere inside his small backpack, his phone vibrated signaling a message notification. Taking his phone out, he squinted a little, taken aback by the device’s brightness. After tweaking the settings, he opened his messaging app and almost dropped his phone in astonishment.

‘ _Shit.’_

 

** Yunhyeong: **

**Hey Hanbin-ssi!**

**Any chance you’re free on Friday?**

For the next 5 minutes, Hanbin’s eyes stayed glued to his screen. Blinking every now and then to adjust to its brightness, he read the message again and again willing his mind to make sense of what was going on.

_‘I have his phone number. Shit. We exchanged phone numbers!’_

He can’t believe he really forgot about Yunhyeong typing in his phone number on his phone. He can’t believe he forgot about actually meeting Yunhyeong. He seriously forgot about Yunhyeong.

_‘Shit.’_

He slapped himself a couple of times, mentally scolding himself for panicking over a text. Recalling his schedule for Friday, he started typing a reply, stopping after a few words only to delete what he wrote and start typing again this time with a different message. Rereading his response for the third time, he finally pressed send.

 

** Hanbin: **

**Hello Yunhyeong-ssi!**

**My classes end at 4pm, I’m free right after that. Are we shooting something?**

He wasn’t even able to put his phone down when it vibrated once again signaling another notification.

 

** Yunhyeong: **

**Oh that’s perfect! My friends wanna meet you**

**I mean, as part of the cast and all**

**A little meeting to orient you guys on our plans, you know**

**What’s gonna happen with the film…**

**Can you come?**

_‘He’s rambling…in texts…how cute.’_ Hanbin was beaming at his phone. Typing his reply, he let out a little chuckle before hitting send.

 

** Hanbin: **

**Yep, sure!**

**I’ll be there :)**

** Yunhyeong: **

**Yeeeessss!!!!**

**Thank youuu!!**

**I’ll just send you the details later :)))**

** Hanbin: **

**Okay :)**

Putting his phone down, he stared back at his laptop screen hoping to get himself to calm down. He sighed.  He felt a sudden lightness creep up from deep within him, enveloping him in a warmth that made his cheeks blush a tinge of red. Yunhyeong has texted him for the first time and he can’t believe how elated he was with their exchange. He looked at their conversation one last time, a wide grin still plastered all over his face. His mind went back to the night before – how he was panicking over his impulsive decision and the excitement his roommates have shown. Suddenly, he didn’t feel that anxious anymore and all it took was a message from Yunhyeong.

He leaned back on his chair and giggled. He hopes Friday comes fast.


	5. Of Firsts and Friendships

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for not updating for a long time, I've been too preoccupied with a lot of things...  
> This chapter's longer than usual tho. :)

Hanbin stared at his mirror for the nth time. He ran a hand down his thighs, meticulously rubbing out the stray fibers of cotton that showed against the black material of his skinny jeans. He pulled on his light grey sweater and carefully readjusted how it sat on his shoulders. Lifting both arms, he checked to make sure his French tuck was secure and would hold for the rest of the day before doing a half turn to examine his back. He was going for the casual _I-just-threw-on-the-first-thing-I-saw-from-my-closet_ aesthetic today and, frankly, he’s not sure if he’s doing it right. Looking like he tried too much is nowhere on his list of desirable impressions after all and he wanted to make a good one on Yunhyeong’s friends.  

It’s finally Friday and Hanbin’s doing a pretty bad job at hiding his excitement for their plans after class. Soon after agreeing to meet up with Yunhyeong and his friends for their film, he got another text with an address for a small café near campus. It’s only been a couple of days but for Hanbin, it felt like it’s been _weeks_ since he last saw his crush.

Before their fated encounter in the library (yes, Hanbin believes it was fate that brought them together) he used to ‘pass by’ the Film and Arts Department right after his classes every Mondays and Thursdays. Whenever he did, he hoped to catch a glimpse of that cheerful smile that seemed to ease whatever stress he had for the past few days or even better, hear that angelic laugh that melts his heart each and every time. Since they formally met, Hanbin became too scared to go drop by their department in the fear of getting recognized by the man. After all, he was far too awkward around new people and unintentionally ‘bumping’ into Yunhyeong might end up with him spilling too much information – like the reason why a music major’s wandered that far away from their building and was roaming around another department.

So now, there’s only a few more hours before the meeting and Hanbin can’t wait to finally see Yun again. Getting antsy from too much anticipation, he’s been trying to figure out what to wear for the last 30 minutes before settling with the outfit he had on. He checked himself out one more time in the mirror, this time finding something wrong with his hair. Running his hand over his bangs, he swept a few stray hair strands to the side. Liking what’s in front of him, he did a little smirk playing with one brow before giving himself a flirty wink. He snickered, grinning at his silliness.

 

“Uhh…what are you doing?”

 

He turned to see a puzzled Jinhwan leaning by his doorway with both arms crossed. He gave him a guilty smile, a little embarrassed for having been caught being a tad more vain than he’s ever been.

 

“Hyung, how do I look?”

 

 “You haven’t even answered my question.”

 

“I’m getting dressed.”

 

He scowled “…obviously. But what for? You going on a date with your little crush?”

 

“I wish.” Hanbin admitted with a sigh. “We’re meeting up with his friends after class…for the short film.”

 

“Oh.”

 

“So how do I look?”

 

“Honestly…” he gave the expecting man a quick once-over.  “You look like you need to get to class, you’re already 10 minutes late, in case you didn’t know.”

“ _OH SHIT! HYUNG, WHY DIDN’T YOU TELL ME????”_ Hanbin almost stumbled as he scrambled to his desk to stuff everything he needed that day into his backpack.

The elder just laughed. “Well, I came here to tell you.” He shrugged.  “Don’t worry, you look great.”

He rolled his eyes at the comment. “Wow, thanks, hyung. I gotta run.”

“Good luck on your date, lover boy!”

“It’s _not_ a date!”

 

 

Hours later, Hanbin stood outside a small café just two blocks away from their campus. He pulled on his sweater, hands shaking slightly. He let out a deep sigh, mentally trying to prepare himself and his heart. Anxious and excited, he pushed open its door to reveal a rather bright pastel colored interior. The café was actually larger than how its exterior let it out to be. Despite having several customers inside, the place still looked spacious and warm. A light shade of soft pink colored the walls which were contrasted by the whiteness of the counter and the furniture and perfectly matched the subtle pops of little baby blue and dandelion from some of the chairs and other decorations scattered around its inside. Sprouts of greenery could be found almost everywhere in the café and it brightened the whole place further as the soft glow of the interior’s lights bounced off of them. But to Hanbin, none could compare to the glow that radiated off the young man who was standing near the counter smiling and waving at him, beckoning him to come closer. 

 ”Hey! You made it.” Yunhyeong beamed at him. He looked like he was in such a good mood, it made Hanbin ease up and smile.

“Y-yeah. I did.” He rubbed the back of his neck as he gave him a shy smile.

“Hanbin-ssi…can I call you Hanbin?”

He perked up at the request. He wasn’t expecting he’d get this close to Yunhyeong in such a short amount of time.

Well, they’re not really _that_ close…yet…but hey, dropping formalities is a huge deal especially for an anti-social introvert like Hanbin.

“I-I…”

“You can call me ‘hyung’.” Yunhyeong offered, noticing how the younger was stammering.

“I’d like that…h-hyung.”

Yunhyeong gave him his widest grin and if Hanbin thought he was glowing when he came in, now he thinks the guy’s radiance is blinding. It’s melting him inside out like how the sun does to the winter ice when spring comes knocking on its doors. He could feel the fluttering of butterflies somewhere in his stomach now, his cheeks slowly reddening as if being kissed by rays of sunlight peeking from behind the clouds. It’s as if Yunhyeong’s bringing to him the first signs of spring and Hanbin’s never had anything quite like it.

So he smiles back.

“You’re just in time, I’m about to order some food, anything you want?”

“O-oh, I’m not really familiar with the food here, hyung.”

“You should try their frappes then. They honestly have the best frappes!”

“Any flavors you can recommend, hyung?”

“Try their cappuccino one! The strawberry’s also good…the chocolate one is perfect as well hmm…”

“I’ll have the cappuccino one then.”

Yunhyeong gave him another smile before turning to order their food. He just stood behind him like an eager puppy waiting for his human to pat him or take him out for a walk. A few minutes later, Yunhyeong was leading a nervous Hanbin to their table at the far corner of the café. Unlike the other tables, the one they were headed at was nestled cozily between the wall and what looked like a wooden trellis complete with hanging vines and flowers. As pretty as it looks, the structure served as a partition giving the table a little more privacy – perfect for a date…or a meeting, in this case. As they reached the table, Hanbin was glad to find out that he already knew three out of the five people waiting for them. Their familiar faces made him feel a lot more comfortable than he expected.

As it turned out, Hanbin and (as he just found out) Yunhyeong’s friends Donghyuk, and Chanwoo have been classmates on the previous semester – actually getting acquainted with each other after a very tardy Donghyuk and Chanwoo were forced to sit beside Hanbin at the back of the class. With Dong’s friendliness and superb social skills, they soon became friends and sat together since then.

Seeing that the three needed no introductions, Yunhyeong then introduced Hanbin to Junhoe. Greeting him with the best _I-am-super-friendly-let’s-be-friends_ smile he could muster, Hanbin shuddered when the guy stared at him with sharp piercing eyes before nodding at him with a sheepish smile. He thought Junhoe was rather quiet and a little intimidating…and he’s never been so wrong. The guy was obnoxiously loud. Even when he’s speaking normally, his voice just comes out like a heavy bass-driven beat from a boom box with a broken volume control. It didn’t annoy Hanbin as much as he thought it would though, his ears accustomed to the high volume he typically uses when making music. And just when he thought the guy couldn’t get any more interesting, he read an excerpt of the script that he wrote for the film and Hanbin just couldn’t stop gushing over how brilliant he thought it was. Junhoe was a literary genius (well, in Hanbin’s eyes at least); one extremely _loud_ literary genius.

Then Yunhyeong introduced him to Jisoo, a first year acting major who, if Hanbin recalls correctly, was one of the ‘ _gems’_ of their department. It was an amusing term, he admits, and it’s what the acting majors call the most outstanding of their pack – by that they mean the most talented and almost always, the most popular. Hanbin already met her through Jinhwan last year when they worked together on a project for an elective. He can still remember coming home to a messy living room with a stressed out Jinhwan and a tired-but-still-gorgeous Jisoo sprawled across the floor gluing what looked like cutout letters and pictures to a mood board.  He was glad Jisoo still remembered him as he didn’t have to reintroduce himself. She was still as sweet as ever and Hanbin wondered how Yunhyeong got a hold of her for their film when she’s always busy with her classes and her part-time modelling gigs as far as he could remember. He thought they must be good friends.

And then there was Jaewon, a first year music major whom he’s never met before. Reserved and timid, the guy greeted him with a gummy smile and Hanbin felt a tinge of insecurity flood through him. Jaewon was beautiful. Not Yunhyeong beautiful but still beautiful nonetheless. He could see how well he fit with Jisoo. The guy had this light innocent aura around him and being comfortable with him seemed like the easiest thing to do. Hanbin warmed up to him pretty fast and soon they were talking about their music with Jaewon asking Hanbin about second year life. He was surprised to find out that the guy knew about him, his reputation apparently trickled down to the lower years and even to some upperclassmen as well.

With Hanbin finally introduced to every person from the team, they spared no time and proceeded to discussing their agenda for the afternoon – the short film.

 The meeting ended up being a rather pleasant exchange of ideas, laughter, and good food. The whole affair surprisingly went way better than any of them ever thought it would – especially Hanbin who’ve been anxious ever since he got texted by Yunhyeong.

He was going through the incomplete script again, stopping every now and then to mentally take note of the highlighted phrases and key points he jotted down when they first read the whole thing. Yunhyeong, who was sitting directly in front of him, stared at him intently while finishing his strawberry frappe.

“Hanbin-ah, if you have any more questions, you can always text me.” Hanbin looked up to see Yunhyeong giving him a sweet smile. He smiled back at him before quickly looking away, afraid he’d turn red and dissolve if he kept the eye contact for a second longer.

Yunhyeong dropping honorifics still gets to him. He felt warm inside.

 

A few more cupcakes and hearty laughs later, Jisoo and Jaewon bid farewell to team. It was now almost 6 PM and the two had rehearsals for a play they were supposed to present for their drama class finals – turns out, Jaewon was also taking up the subject as an elective and that was how he knew Yunhyeong and Jisoo. The semester was really hectic for everyone (except Hanbin, of course).

 

“So hyung,” Donghyuk cleared his throat, “we heard you just bumped into Yunhyeong hyung last Tuesday?”

Hanbin almost choked on a cupcake. He hoped they wouldn’t start prying onto the details of how they met. Seems like it can’t be helped.

“Y-yeah…sort of. I found some notes he left behind at the library.” He recalled. “But Yunhyeong hyung bumped into me on accident so I guess, yeah, we did.” He motioned to the guy in front of him who gave him an apologetic smile in return. 

“Sorry about that.”

“Oh, it’s fine, hyung. You’ve already apologized enough.” He gave a weak chuckle and the guy grinned at him in response; both hardly noticing that everyone else stopped eating to stare at their intriguing interaction.

“Hmm...I heard someone called someone an ‘ _angel’_.” Chanwoo began.

Yunhyeong choked, almost spilling his drink and Hanbin could feel his face burning.

“Was that supposed to be a pickup line?” Junhoe asked a snickering Chanwoo. “Cause that was seriously the lamest pickup line I’ve ever heard.” He rolled his eyes in mock disgust.

“I don’t know but it must have worked…somehow.” The youngest replied teasingly, head tilting to point at Yunhyeong fumbling with a slice of cake and a visibly flushed Hanbin pretending he hasn’t heard a word.

“I think there’s only one person _lame_ enough to come up with such _atrocity_.” Junhoe furrowed his brows, scratching his chin in pretend thinking.

“Ooohhh…does his name start with a ‘Y’?” Donghyuk giggled in excitement and Yunhyeong jerked dropping the slice of cake he was trying to eat.

The three exchanged knowing looks and instantly burst out laughing - Donghyuk and Chanwoo almost bouncing off their seats and an even noisier Junhoe lightly pounding on their table. An uneasy Yunhyeong trying his hardest to hide his embarrassment as the other people inside the café started looking at them. But they certainly didn’t care (although they did make sure to control their volume so they won’t get kicked out). They certainly didn’t stop teasing each other and joking around though.

Despite the unexplainable shame that Hanbin was fighting off inside, he can’t help but grin at the scene in front of him. The infectious laughter completely washing out all that was left of his apprehensions and anxiety for what he initially thought would be a dreadful social exchange. And if minutes ago he thought the meeting was going well, this time he’s certain that it’s going great.

 

“Are you guys done making fun of me?” Yunhyeong glared at the younger three, fists balled up and lips jutted out in a slight pout. They shut up and looked at him for a second before exploding in even more laughter. Yunhyeong sighed in defeat and Hanbin wanted to do absolutely nothing but hug him and squish those adorable cheeks.

So that’s how it went. The four groupmates asking Hanbin random questions, sharing hilarious anecdotes, making fun of Yunhyeong (for no apparent reason), and trying to get to know each other more. And so by the time they left the café about an hour later, Hanbin was beaming in happiness. Little did he know, his day’s not yet over.

 

“Yun hyung.”Chanwoo called out.

They reached the intersection right before their school entrance. The streets were bustling with life – students coming out of school, nearby food stalls and restaurants in a frenzy to serve the growing number of customers looking for dinner, and commuters either hurrying home after a tiring work day or hustling to start their night shifts. The sound of the rush hour traffic was almost blaring and was accompanied by music from various pop-up stores and some singers out busking in front of a little crowd just across the street from where they stood.

They turned to see a thrilled Chanwoo pointing at the entertainers who were now singing what seemed like an acoustic rendition of a popular spring ballad.

“Yun hyung.” He repeated, eyes wide in excitement. Yunhyeong who seemed to understand what he meant, smiled and nodded at the younger in approval.

“Go ahead Chan. I can go home by myself. Just bring me food when you get back.”

He brightened up at the response and waved goodbye to everyone before running towards where a small crowd stood waiting for the traffic lights to turn red.

“W-wait, we’ll come with you.” Donghyuk called out, dragging a confused Junhoe who sounded like he was about to whine.

“Be safe, hyung! And have fun!” They waved as they crossed the road towards the growing mob around a couple performers.

“What was that about?” Hanbin inquired, he too was confused.

“Chanwoo’s gonna record the buskers…something for his Youtube channel content. He’s been wanting to do that for weeks now but we haven’t been out that much.”

“Oh for his vlog?”

“I guess. Might be a special video though, we never know with that kid.”

“Oh…” Hanbin stared at his shoes feeling a little awkward, not really sure how to continue the conversation.

“Where do you live, by the way?”

“My apartment’s down on Sinjeong Street... y’know, near the park?”

“ _Really_?”

Hanbin looked up to see Yunhyeong gawking at him in surprise.

“Our dorm’s _on_ Sinjeong Street! Which building is your apartment at?”

“The second building after the convenience store.”

“We’re on the building _before_ the convenience store!”

Hanbin’s face lit up at this new information. Yes, he’s been crushing on the guy for months now and he ‘occasionally’ goes out of his way to marvel at his beauty but that doesn’t mean he knows a lot about him. He admits he might come off as stalker-ish - the way he stares at the guy from afar and how he talks about him any chance he gets. But he’s _not_ creepy. He’s no stalker. He’s only ever ogled Yunhyeong because of how calming he felt like to him. Anyone else would say that that sounds bizarre but Hanbin swears he’s got that effect on him. How peaceful he looks when he’s not doing anything, the way he carries himself with grace akin to nothing less than a royal prince, how his eyes turn to crescents when he laughs, his perfect teeth when he smiles – Hanbin could go on for hours.

“So Bin, do you have any more plans for today?”

“Uhm…not really.” It was Friday after all and he wasn’t the busiest person around…luckily.

“Wanna go get some ramen with me?”

It took a few seconds before Hanbin fully wrapped his head around what Yunhyeong just said and when he finally did, he felt like jumping. His heart was beating like crazy, his head felt like it’s melting into a puddle, and he was sure he was going to explode like a grenade but into butterflies and rose petals instead of fire and smoke. For the first time in a long time, he’s happy to say that his day’s not yet over.

“Sure, hyung.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter's gonna be about them getting ramen and some random stuff :)))  
> In case you're wondering, the actual filming part starts in the chapter after. uwu <3


	6. Of Friendships and Connections

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im sorry for disappearing like that, been thru some stuff huhuhu  
> I promise im posting the next chapter this week too

They ended up getting more than just ramen.

Sitting on one of the outside tables of the convenience store, Yunhyeong peeled off his straw’s plastic covering and punched into his favorite strawberry-flavored yogurt drink. He broke off two pairs of disposable chopsticks and carefully placed each on top of the warm rice bowls. Beside it, neatly arranged and equally hot, was a beef _dosirak_ , two cups of steaming ramen, and cans of _milkis_. It’s not _that_ obvious that they were hungry.

“Hyung, t-they ran out of plastic spoons...” He looked up to see Hanbin coming out of the store with a single spoon and moving to sit on the chair in front of him. “They only had one left.”

Scoffing in disbelief, he pointed at the single spoon. “Really? What kind of convenience store runs out of disposable spoons?”

“The guy inside said something about their supplies getting delayed.”

“How are we gonna eat?” He frowned. “This curry-topped rice bowls can’t be eaten with chopsticks and –“

“You can just use it, hyung.”

He stared at the younger in shock. “B-but what about you? I’m not letting you struggle like that.” That’s not right. He can’t do that to him. Not when he’s been especially cooperative the whole day.

“No, I’ll be fine.”

Hanbin handed him the plastic utensil and gave him a sheepish smile. He must’ve seemed slightly offended because Hanbin looked like he was starting to rethink his every decision. So with a deep breath, Yunhyeong spoke up, cutting the other’s train of thoughts.

“You know what? We’re sharing the spoon. I don’t care if it’d take us longer to finish eating, I’m not letting you eat without one. Plus, I don’t really mind having to share it with…B-bin?”

The younger’s face was completely blank, eyes directly on Yunhyeong with what looked like a little trace of shock. He looked as if someone told him he threw out his music sheets.

“You alright?”

He waved the spoon in front of the younger’s face and in an instant, his face scrunched up in panic, with every feature of his face tensing up, eyes blinking fast, before he lit up giving a confused Yunhyeong an awkward smile.

“Are you okay?”

He turned his gaze down, focusing on anything but Yunhyeong. “Y-you wanna s-share the spoon?”

“Yeah, Bin.” Does he hate it? “If you’re fine with that, of course.”

The younger opened his mouth to say something but nothing seems to make sense. His hands were fumbling with the plastic covering of their _dosirak_.

Yunhyeong wondered if he went too far. People most definitely needed to be at least at a certain level of closeness before they considered sharing a spoon a _normal thing;_ he probably should have thought of that. He wanted to slap himself on the face for most likely weirding out the younger but before he could even _mentally_ try, Hanbin was nodding at him, stuttering out an approval as he took the spoon from his hand.

Just like that, they started to eat in comfortable silence, passing the spoon to the other after a bite or two. And if Hanbin would blush a deep crimson or a rosy pink as the other licked off the same spoon, Yunhyeong would only fail to notice as he himself was struggling to shrug off the confusion flooding his mind from the foreign feeling the exchange was giving him.

As they continued eating, questions started slowly pouring out from the both of them – Hanbin asking Yunhyeong about his friends and the latter urging him to share more about his own friends too. Conversations picked up and before they knew it, the built up tension that they didn’t even realize existed was now gone; washed out by the little laughs and light-hearted smiles.

They talked about quite a lot of things, both growing more and more at ease with each topic. It went from Yunhyeong’s not-that-well-known interest in singing – the music major even asking him to sing a line or two which he did (but not without blushing in embarrassment) – to how Hanbin also considered taking up a film major before and his little knack for photography.

And when they reached out for the last of their drinks, they seem to have completely forgotten that _this_ was in fact the first time the two of them hang out by themselves.

 

 

“Bin?” He called out.

The younger was sipping the last of his yogurt drink. It was a few minutes before 9 PM and they’ve been lounging outside the convenience store for almost 2 hours now. They should probably head home but Yunhyeong still doesn’t feel like he wants to. Not until he manages to satisfy his curiosity anyway.

 

_“Hyung, not to destroy your mood or anything…I’m just wondering. Why did Hanbin-hyung agree to act in our short film?”_

_He turned around to face a curious Chanwoo with his large brown eyes staring at him from his bed on the other side of their shared room. He shifted once more, now lying flat on his back, eyes looking at the ceiling._

_“Hmm…I actually don’t know.”_

_He heard the other bed creak as his roommate moved to mirror his position. “He’s not exactly the type to…do things like this. Y’know? Things that draw attention…to him. He’s low key like that.”_

_“Really?”_

_“Yeah… He doesn’t even talk to people in class. We’ve only ever become friends ‘cause Dong loves pestering whoever’s beside him. I can’t believe he even talked to you in the first place…”_

 

“Hyung?”

A tap on his shoulder brought him out of his musings. He faced an awaiting Hanbin whose drink was now set aside and empty.

“Sorry, I just… remembered something.” He looked down to find some food crumbs which he then brushed off from his lap.

“Your question…”

“What?”

“What was your question? You were about to ask me something.”

For a second, the older looked lost. “Oh, that…I was gonna ask you why.”

“Why?

“Why… why you said yes. Why _did_ you say yes? Why did you agree to help with our short film?”

At his words, Hanbin tensed and if the light from the convenience store and the street lamps were a little bit brighter, Yunhyeong would have seen him go a little pale before turning a shade of red. But he did notice how the younger seemed to be at a loss for words, stammering a bit and indiscernibly mumbling what he thought was an answer that he just can’t comprehend.

“Uh… I just f-felt like it?” He began as the older turned to him, giving him his full attention. “M-my friends have always nagged at me to get out there. Y’know? Do something new… f-for once.” He reasoned, eyes darting everywhere in an attempt to avoid his hyung’s gaze.

Yunhyeong’s lips curled into a smirk. “And you decided acting was the way to go?”

“Well… _you_ came to me with the idea. I just… went along with it.” He almost whined, hands tugging at his own sleeves.

He laughed at the younger’s defensiveness. “You do have a point.”

Hanbin smiled, letting out a sigh as he turned to face his hyung whose eyes were already on him.

A cool breeze blew past the two and as silence filled the atmosphere, the faint sound of leaves rustling from the distant trees grew more noticeable; a tiny reminder of how late it was and how long they’ve been sitting on their spot. And for what seemed like an hour, they sat there, staring at each other in what looked like a mutual search for something – anything that could shed light on their brand new _unexplainable_ connection. Well, at least to Yunhyeong it was unexplainable.

It wasn’t until the sound of their plastic spoon falling pierced through the silence that the two were brought out of whatever trance they were in.

They let out a hearty laugh.

 

 

Yunhyeong pulled on his blanket one more time. It’s been an hour since he came home from his hangout with Hanbin and he can’t bring himself to sleep just yet. He’s been tossing and turning for a while now, energy still up from his exchanges with his new friend. Frankly, there’s not much going on in his head. He’s just happy about how his day went and getting to spend time with his friends – despite it being school related.

But mostly he’s confused.

He wants to understand how and he wants to know why but raking his brain for possible explanations on how he’s feeling is not something he would willingly do at 10 in the evening. 

He turns. Chanwoo is sleeping soundly in his bed, maybe he should do that too. So he turns off his bedside lamp and hugs his pillow tighter as he closes his eyes.

Explanations can wait. At least he’s happy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *a 'dosirak' is like a packed meal or a lunch box, they come with rice and some side dishes...  
> *'milkis' is a carbonated yogurt drink from lotte (they're so good btw)
> 
> also ive outlined the whole thing and it's at least 14 chapters long...tho that could still change.  
> anyways yunbin is alive and still breathing so im keeping this alive as well :)))


	7. Of Connections and Second Times

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And I'm back.

Yunhyeong checks the contents of his bag for the nth time. It’s their first shooting day after all and he can’t afford to mess up all their equipment and props. He clutches the tripod case beside him, mentally recounting to see if the items he brought matched the number of items he was tasked to take care off. He brought with him one backpack (with clothing selection for their male lead – Hanbin), a tripod, a reflector (which he got from Chanwoo), a picnic basket they would use as props, and a dslr they’d use to film. He was tasked to bring his camera and his trusty roommate was bringing his own too. Though he doesn’t know if he would actually remember, he doesn’t even know where his roommate is at the moment. Last time he checked, the younger was still asleep, dead to the world.

  
He glances at his watch…again. Chanwoo’s late. As expected. With a gentle sigh, he closes his eyes.

  
Sitting comfortably on one of the park’s benches, he feels like he could fall asleep. Last night was terribly long for someone who had both a paper and a presentation to polish. By the time he was done and tucked into bed, it was thoughts of their shoot that kept him restless and wide awake. It took him 2 hours of contemplation and a cup of tea to finally fall into deep slumber which didn’t even last that long since he had an early schedule to prepare for.

  
It’s 7:40 in the morning and the whole crew was supposed to be complete by 8:00. Their actors were scheduled to be at the location by 8:30 AM and they had to have everything prepared before they arrived. He volunteered to be at the park earlier than everyone to start checking their planned locations and maybe set up a bit. Chanwoo was supposed to be up with him but he came home so late last night, he didn’t have the heart to drag his best friend to the park at 7 AM.  
He’s getting anxious. He sighs.

 

“If you were that tired, you should’ve just stayed behind and waited for me.”  
He looked up to see his roommate glaring at him, bag on his back, camera equipment on one hand, and a paper bag on the other. If the slightly bloated face and the heavy under eyes could tell him one thing, it’s that Chanwoo still lacks some sleep. Like a lot of it.

  
He can’t help but scowl at the younger. “Oh, hey Mr. Grumpy, you’re early.”

  
“Shut up, I got us coffee.” He handed him the paper bag as he set his other stuff on the bench beside everything else.

  
Opening the said bag, he smiled at the sight of his favorite coffee and some cookies. _Sleep-deprived and cranky yet he still thought of getting him food._

_The nicest kid in town, indeed._

  
“Have I ever told you that I love you? ‘Cause I do…like so much.”

“Eww, that’s gross.”

“You love me.”

“Unfortunately.” He shrugged and as if on cue, the two turned to each other before bursting out in deep loud hearty laughter. Just like that, their moods were instantly a little brighter.

  
Attempting to make a straight face, Chanwoo patted his shoulder. “Stop being so anxious, Yunhyeong.” He stifled a laugh. “It’s gonna be fine.”

“Yah!” With the deadliest glare he could manage, he swatted Chanwoo’s hands. “I’m older than you, you brat.”  
Chanwoo only rolled his eyes and laughed it off.

  
He’s always been like that; caring for his hyung in the guise of teasing and little sarcastic remarks. Growing up with his roommate, Yunhyeong understood that most of the time, Chanwoo loathes how cheesy and emotional he can get so the younger balances it out by appearing to be cold and nonchalant about anything he does. They fit together like that – like Legos or like coffee and creamer. That’s why they came to be best friends. Well, that and Chanwoo being extremely clingy when they were younger. But of course he wouldn’t dare tell anyone about that or who knows what kind of prank the younger might pull on him in revenge.

  
It only took them a couple of minutes to configure their camera and equipment setups. Chanwoo basically does these things on the daily and the whole thing wasn’t far from what he does for his youtube videos. So when Junhoe and Donghyuk arrived 5 minutes before eight, the two were fully awake from their coffees and everything was all set for the first scene.

  
Yunhyeong just wanted to get the whole thing started. He missed shooting films. It’s not like he hasn’t shot anything recently it’s just that the only things he’s ever shot the whole semester were some mini documentaries and random interviews he can’t even remember the topics of. His entire semester’s been a blur like that. Also, he loves romantic films. Rom-coms specifically. Or just anything with a love story moving enough to evoke his inner romantic self.

To be fair, the whole team’s eager to work on the film albeit for different reasons. Chanwoo loves the whole production aspect – the same reason why he loves doing his vlogs. He sees this as another opportunity to shoot something new and they all know he can’t wait to literally play with the material. Though, as expected, he tries his best to act like he just wants it done and over with. Junhoe, on the other hand, is thrilled to see his work get adapted into a movie. He doesn’t always get to write scripts for anything, this was new for him, in fact. And Donghyuk, well, he’s just as enthusiastic as the rest of them though they’re not entirely that sure why. He’s been even more animated the past few days, almost bouncing whenever anyone brings up the film. Although, it’s hard to tell when he’s pretty much energetic and lively on a day to day basis. He’s probably just plain excited about the whole project – things can be pretty simple like that anyway.

A few minutes before 8:30, Jisoo showed up looking dainty and delicate in a baby pink sundress and a pigtail. She was as bubbly as she’s always been, greeting each of them with enthusiasm that could only match Donghyuk’s. The two were chatting away about her lines when Hanbin finally arrived minutes later. Unlike Jisoo though, he looked out of it.

  
“Hey bin, are you okay?” Yunhyeong asked as soon as the younger came over to greet him.

  
Ignoring the question, he gave him a little wave. “Well, hello to you too, hyung.”

  
Yunhyeong frowned, studying the other, scanning him for anything off and out of place before looking him straight in the eyes.

"Are you sick?"

  
“No.” Hanbin replied, maybe a little too quickly.

  
Not convinced in the slightest, Yunhyeong came closer, one hand scratching his own chin in thought. He scrutinized the younger, eyes blinking slowly before widening as some sort of realization finally hit him.

  
“Oh…oohh. You’re nervous.”

  
Hanbin tensed, breaking their eye contact. “What? N-no.” He began playing with the hem of his large hoodie.

  
“That wasn’t a question, Bin.”

  
The younger looked up and that split second when their eyes met was all it took for him to falter and confess what was already obvious to Yunhyeong.

  
“Okay, a little.” He admitted, voice almost a whisper.  
He stared at Hanbin, eyebrows cocked as if to say he knew he was still lying. Seeing how unmoved his hyung remained, Hanbin gave up and sighed.

  
“Fine. A lot. I’m shaking right now.” He threw his arms up and confessed in defeat. And Yunhyeong had no choice but to giggle at his dilemma even though he knew full well he was to blame.

  
“Why are you laughing at me?” He whined and it made Yunhyeong laugh even more. Hanbin sent him his futile attempt at a ‘slightly offended’ glare and he choked a bit as he tried to suppress his own laughter.

  
“Bin, hey…hey…listen.” Yunhyeong stepped a little closer, extending both arms to hold the younger’s shoulders.

  
“You’re gonna be fine.” He began with his most soothing voice, hands rubbing the sides of the other’s shoulders. “You’re gonna be amazing! Well, not exactly amazing since it’s your first time but you know-”

  
“Are you trying to cheer me up? ‘Cause I don’t think that’s how you do it. “

  
He sighed, rolling his eyes. “Of course I am but I’m also trying to be realistic here.”

  
“Okaaay-”

  
“Anyway, I think you’ll do well.”

  
“How would you know? You haven’t even seen me attempt to act…”

  
“I just do. Instincts. Just trust me on this.” He gave Hanbin the sweetest smile he could muster and the younger slowly nodded, a gentle smile creeping on his face as he mumbled a soft, “Thank you, hyung.”

 

And like some sort of fortune teller, Yunhyeong was right, Hanbin did do well. They’ve been shooting for about an hour now and things are going incredibly well.

  
Hanbin, who has never been in front of a camera before, was following every given cue and executing his scenes pretty fine. And if Yunhyeong would say the guy has astounding potential in acting, he’s not being biased at all because everyone else in the team was thinking the same thing. He’d probably keep it to himself though, afraid to butter up the other. But the rest of them clearly didn’t care.

  
“Wow, oppa.” Jisoo was giving him a slow clap, shaking her head for added emphasis. “You should’ve taken up an acting major! How are you so good at this?” She exclaimed while the whole team was watching the scenes they just shot.

  
Hanbin just gave them a sheepish smile as he thanked them for the compliments they’ve been showering him since they started shooting. He’s not really a stranger to compliments as he’s been praised a lot for his musical capabilities. But him getting commended for something like acting, was a feat he had never experienced. He never even tried acting before, it was all too new for him. If it wasn’t for Yunhyeong, he wouldn’t even think of being in front of the camera like he had been a few minutes ago. But here he is. If he had a choice, Hanbin probably wouldn’t even watch his takes.

  
Yunhyeong was watching Hanbin the whole time. A researcher watching his own little experiment unfold; observing how his specimen reacts to variables it gets exposed to. Not to get too scientific but right now, Hanbin is his little _experiment_ …his whole acting stint at least. He was the one who got him to do it after all and now he’s helping him through it. To him, at least, it kind of made sense. He may not be the most scientifically inclined person but he still loves the whole metaphorical aspect of the comparison. It makes it seem a lot more dramatic. And god knows how Yunhyeong loves being _dramatic_ like that.

  
“How did I do, hyung?”

  
Hanbin was asking him now and for some reason, it seemed like everyone was waiting for him to answer.

  
And as he looked into his eyes to tell him what he thought, he saw how Hanbin’s were full of anticipation. Somehow, those brown orbs reflected a certain ray of innocence and genuine curiosity, like a 6 year old asking his Art teacher how he did on his first attempt at water coloring. Yunhyeong just knew whatever he’d say in reply would mean so much more to the younger than he’d probably ever understand. So he made sure to give him his brightest smile.

  
“You did great, Bin. Just like how I said you would.”

  
He watched as the younger got flustered from the compliment; how a timid smile slowly grew on his face; how he awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck; eyes noticeably dodging the slightest attempt at eye contact.

  
“Really, hyung?”

  
“You did! I’m telling the truth here,” Yunhyeong replied, grinning as he saw Hanbin’s face light up with the biggest smile he’s ever seen the whole day.

Hepats the younger's shoulder as he smiled at him far longer than he probably should have.

  
Yunhyeong knew it should be nothing. A compliment's just a few positive words after all. It’s not a big deal. He always gave his friends one whenever he thinks they need it for encouragement or even when they don’t need one anyway.

 

But all of a sudden _, it was_.

 

For the rest of the shoot, Hanbin was being all bubbly and bright. He had this twinkle in his eyes that Yunhyeong could only identity as excitement at doing things right and finding something that he’s good at. He’s just all radiant and a lot more out there than he usually was and it’s lifting Yunhyeong’s spirits up in a way he never thought it would.

He beams whenever Hanbin does after every take; shakes his head in amusement every time those brows furrow in concentration when he’s reading his lines or familiarizing cues. His eyes are glued to the guy and his little crush on him does not justify why it’s messing up with his work ethics. _It’s just physical attraction, for fucks sake. He’s been through way worse distractions._

 

“You know, if you just walked up to him and talked to him like how you normally do with everyone else, you might’ve gotten more than just stolen glances and quick brief comments.”

  
He gets shaken out of his thoughts by a smirking Chanwoo.

  
“Wha- I – I don’t – w-what are you talking about?” _Great, he’s stammering._

  
“Quit it, hyung. I see what you’ve been doing since he came here. Just go up to him. What’s stopping you anyways?”

  
He looked up to see the younger looking at him bemusedly. Soft facial expression assuring him that he wasn’t asking to poke fun at him.

  
“Well,” he began, “we’re still shooting and I don’t wanna be a bother.” Which was true. They were working and he wasn’t going to neglect his responsibilities to their team for a bit of whatever he wanted to have with Hanbin. _He wasn’t even sure what it was that he wanted from the guy._

 

"Hyung, we’re on break.” The younger deadpanned. “You can talk to him if you want. It’s not like you’re taking away from our shooting hours.”

  
_And he hates when Chanwoo has a point_.

 

Five more scenes done and the team was now piling into the nearest family restaurant for their scheduled lunch. Everyone was engaged in conversation with each other; Donghyuk and Jisoo giggling at some dumb comment Junhoe made during filming, Chanwoo adding little funny comments to tease their scriptwriter who was whining in protest, and Yunhyeong and Hanbin laughing at their silliness.

As their food arrived and they each started filling their tummies with grilled meat and noodles, the stories being shared between the six members of their team began filling their hearts too. It was definitely the perfect way to end their first shooting day.

Amidst the noise and the teasing, Yunhyeong noticed how the man seated beside him stopped talking and just observed the scene in front of him in quiet awe.

  
"Bin, are you okay?" Gently tapping his thigh to grab his attention, he asked the man in concern.

  
Upon feeling the touch, the music major flinched and looked down at where Yunhyeong patted his thigh before turning to face him.  
Seeing him wince at the contact, Yunhyeong pulled back his hand.

  
"What's wrong?" The older examined him, pretty brows furrowed. "You got silent there for a minute. Are you feeling well?"

  
Flustered, the younger didn't respond but instead just stared at him with a mixture of confusion and hesitation. A minute passed and he was about to brush off his question when Hanbin slowly nodded and spoke up.

  
"I- I was just t-thinking, hyung." He admitted, clearly looking worked up over something. _Was it cause he touched his thigh? Maybe he got uncomfortable._

  
"Well, at least someone in this group is using his brain." He teased with a mischievous smile; pointing at the others who were cheering at Junhoe and Donghyuk's messy competition of who could finish their large bowl of extra spicy ramen first. (Donghyuk looks like he's winning.)

  
Hanbin snorted at the remark.

  
"Hyuunng!" He whined in an attempt to stop himself from laughing; It didn't work. "I was gonna say something serious…"

  
Yunhyeong had to slap himself to supress his laughs, the younger was too adorable when he's whining.

  
"I'm sorry. What were you thinking of, Bin?" He schooled his face to appear more serious, tiny chuckles still coming through somehow.  
Hanbin glared at him; not quite getting his desired effect since Yunhyeong thinks he's anything but scary.

  
"I realised that it's only the second time I've done this…"

  
"Done what?"

  
"H-hang out with this many friends at once…" He explained timidly, the last few words barely a whisper.

  
Yunhyeong studied him for a minute. _No way. Is he joking?_

  
"Are you joking?"

  
Taken aback, Hanbin blinked several times before scowling.

  
"What? No..." He whined. "Why would I do that?"

  
_Oh, he's serious_.

  
"I'm sorry. I believe you…" Yunhyeong began, "it's just kinda - "

  
"Hard to believe?" The younger offered, smiling.

  
He managed to nod in response; not wanting to cut the other off before he could further explain what he said.

  
"The first time was when we had that meeting last week," he recalled, hands slowly fidgeting with his chopsticks, "though, technically, I was more of an acquaintance to most of you when we began, we still ended up being friends." He pursed his lips in thought.

  
Yunhyeong turned his whole body to face him, only looking at him in silence, eyes soft and curious. He had his full attention this time. Hanbin continued.

  
"Whenever I go out, it's always just with my roommates. We like going to that barbecue place two blocks from our apartment. It's cheap and their food is great. We always end up drinking too much soju or beer whenever we're there. But most of the time, we just get food delivered. Then we'd watch a movie or play video games. It's always just the three of us."

  
Yunhyeong observed the younger, nodding here and there to indicate that he's listening. Well, he was… but Hanbin smiling softly while recalling moments with his friends was just a little too _distracting_ for Yunhyeong. He slaps himself mentally. He's not gonna be rude to Hanbin. _Not now when the guy trusts him enough to share with him stuff about his life. Not ever._

  
"What about when you were in high school?" He asked, hoping he's not stepping out of line.

  
Hanbin looked down, one hand fumbling with the ends of his hoodie, the other poking his food with his chopsticks. There was uncertainty on his face, lips pressed thinly into a line as he pondered on how to phrase what he wanted to say.

  
"I- I wasn't exactly the friendliest person in highschool."

  
Yunhyeong let out a small chuckle. "Isn't that still true now?" He gave him a small smile which seemed to ease the other a tiny bit more.

  
"Well, yeah…" he glanced at Yunhyeong to see his reaction, "but I didn't have any friends in high school. Most of them were just acquaintances, never really people I'd hang out with. Never really real friends."

  
"Wait, for real?"

  
The music major nodded slowly, eyes cast down as if awaiting judgement from the other.

  
Yunhyeong gawked at him. Memories of his own high school days were flooding his mind. All the times he was being loud in class with his classmates; the times he slept over at Chanwoo's to do their 'homework' only to end up playing video games until dawn; the times when he'd help Junhoe prank their other friends when he's not being pranked himself; all the school events, the camping trips, the festivals, the fieldtrips - they were all fun for him but were definitely a thousand times better because he had friends to share them with. He can't imagine living life without a single friend, let alone going through high school without one. Regardless if it was a choice or if it was by some unfortunate circumstance he had no control of, it must've been hard.

  
As he took in the sight of his new friend looking timid after sharing a part of his life with him, he can't help but feel soft - not with pity but with _admiration_. This is a guy who went through high school without depending on anyone else but himself. Hanbin went through a whole stage in life alone. He went through puberty alone. _He's definitely one of the strongest people he knows_.

  
Now he's Hanbin's friend too. They might not be as close as his roommates, he is still one of the few friends the guy has. He smiles at the thought.

  
"Now you have a lot of friends. You have us." _You have me_.

  
Hanbin turned to him in surprise, clearly not expecting to hear what he said. In that long second, Yunhyeong wondered if he said the right thing or if he just made the dumbest comment yet. As he thought of ways to take back what he said, the younger's face then lit up, grin so wide it was almost ridiculous, and he knew right then he did something right.

  
"I do. Thanks, hyung."

  
They looked into each others eyes, a comfortable air of acceptance and understanding around them. And as Yunhyeong raised an eyebrow at Hanbin who beamed at him maybe a little too brightly, he failed to notice how his heart was beating just a little bit faster. And if he did, he probably brushed it off with a chuckle.

  
"Kim Hanbin, musical genius, born introvert, now with an acting career and hanging out with 5 people. What a _plot twist_! The _growth_!" He teased, laughing at the said boy who was smiling despite turning red in embarrassment.

  
"Well, you got me to do this, hyung. So thanks."

  
"Wow, Bin we've only known each other for a couple weeks. Can't believe I can make you do things now. Am I that _powerful_?"

  
"I guess?" The younger shrugged feigning nonchalance. It didn't work though.

  
That only made them burst into even more laughter.

  
They've been so caught up in their own bubble, they failed to notice the four other people staring at them.

And if they missed the knowing looks on their way out of the restaurant and on their way home, it's because they were too busy bickering that they didn't notice that too.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wellllll. Im sorry I kinda left this hanging. I was about to update but things just... happened. Next thing I know, the whole mess just dropped on us and I felt like it wasn't the time to post updates.  
> Truth be told , I haven't opened this fic in months and I feel kinda bad for having ignored it and whoever was reading this.  
> Hopefully, i make up for it with this update which is actually the longest chapter yet.  
> I also have a few yunbin stories in the works. Mostly oneshots and one that I think would be chaptered. Though I don't wanna overlap my chaptered fics... I'll try to post more soon.  
> In the meantime, I hope you enjoyed this...somehow :))))

**Author's Note:**

> I dunno how long this fic is gonna be TBH. I guess we're just gonna find out..eventually uwu  
> oh and tell me what you think :)))


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